Thus far, not much else has worked. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay added to the Padres’ hitting woes Sunday, tying his career-high with 14 strikeouts, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-1 win in front of 24,031 at Petco Park.

The win completed a four-game sweep for the Phillies, the first time they accomplished the feat in San Diego since 1979. The Padres limited one of baseball’s most explosive teams to 12 runs in four games -- and were outscored by nine runs.

Had the club not scratched across a run in the ninth, it would have been the third shutout in four games.

Ready uses three favorite drills to try to hone a hitter’s swing: hitting off a tee, “soft toss,” where someone tosses a ball from a short distance to the hitter; and swinging a smaller bat, which helps the hitter generate the correct swing path.

Players, of course, take hundreds of hacks in the batting cage and study video. All that physical preparation aside, what goes on mentally may impact a player even more.

“Confidence is so fragile in this game,” Ready said.

Ready said some of the players, like Ludwick, are trying too hard.

“Luddy felt like he wanted to carry the club on his shoulders (out of spring training),” Ready said.

Ludwick said he was pressing a week ago, but not anymore. He was 9-for-29 (.310) in his previous seven games and while 0-for-4 Sunday, he lined out to left field once and drove the ball deep to center field his last at-bat.

“I’m over talking about the negative, the slump,” said Ludwick, an ice bag wrapped around his right shoulder. “I’m trying to focus on the positives.

“Am I frustrated when balls like I hit today get caught? Damn right I am. (I’m) ticked off. It just seems like I can’t catch a break. And it seems like it’s not just me. We’re not even getting flares. It’s been a crazy ride ever since I’ve been here (last July 31).”

Ludwick and Cantu said it would wrong to blame Ready for the Padres’ slump.

“He never comes into the clubhouse with a different mood,” Ludwick said. “He’s always upbeat. You feel for him, too.”

Said Cantu, “It’s our job to do the job on the field. There’s nothing we can do about it but keep swinging.”